The Hero Blacksmith
by ToastyBrad
Summary: He was just a blacksmith. But he wanted to be so much more. He wanted to be a Hero. To attend Beacon's academy of Heroes and to fight the evil grimm. But how could he? He was just a blacksmith after all. / RPG World (New Chapter 1!)
1. Chapter 1

**Don't Own RWBY. Heavily inspired by** _ **Forged Destiny**_ **written by Coeur Al' Aran.**

 **Author's Note: Hey all! If you are new to the story then welcome! But if you have already read my previous Chapter 1, you will notice that this is definitely not it. I recently decided that I jumped into the meat of the story way too fast, and as such, I wanted to back up and try to flush out Jaune's character a bit more, as well as the rest of my fantasy world. Hope you enjoy!**

Ansel was a small outlier town of Vale, boasting a population of barely 800. Yet those 800 were family. Because of the lack of comfort which living in the capital provided, each and every one of the citizens contributed to the community. Some were tailors, working the wools that farmers harvested. Some were builders, in charge of construction and maintenance, whether that be a home or the town walls. Some were guards. Holding crossbows, and keeping vigil through day and night. They were the first line of defense against the grimm.

The grimm were monsters, plain and simple. Soulless beings manifested from the negative emotions of humans into the forms of various animals. Nobody knew how they came to be, but they did know that humanity has fought with the grimm for longer than anyone can remember. The conflict between the grimm and humanity was as plain as night and day.

Most common around Ansel were Boarbatusks and Beowolves, along with the occasional Ursa. They looked very similar to their namesakes, boars, wolves, and bears, except for their pitch black coloring and their white masks.

Luckily, these grimm were also among the easiest to slay. Boarbatusks and Beowolves were D-class grimm, the lowest on the grading system, while Ursas were C-class. The grade scale determined the threat level of the grimm, and ran from D to S in sequential order - D, C, B, A, S. Ninety-nine percent of grimm were among the D to A class. The S class grimm were beings of untold power, capable of wiping a city off the map with a single attack. Fortunately, these grimm were very rarely spotted, and even more rarely did they attack. It took at least a hunter of equal ranking to combat these threats. And that was difficult, because there were only 4 registered S-class hunters in the world, the headmasters of the four combat academies of the countries. Vale's Beacon academy, Vacuo's Shade academy, Atlas' Atlas' academy, and Mistral's Haven academy.

Every so often, a grimm would live for over a hundred years, and they would grow bigger, stronger, and more tactical - almost like an evolution. Suddenly, these D-class beowolves became C-class. This concept applied to the entirety of the grimm ranking system. Ursae could occasionally become B-class threats, and the normally B-class Deathstalkers, could sometimes become an A-class threat.

Luckily for Ansel, those tier of grimm only occurred around larger populations of humans, like the capitals, where the magnitude of emotions was much greater. Thus Ansel had no need for a Hero to protect them. Their guardsmen were more than enough to protect their small town from harm.

Jaune Arc sat quietly in his room atop his bed. His light blue eyes tracing the cloud patterns on his sky blue ceiling. He was wearing his pajamas, a blue onesie with a bunny logo on the chest. Today was his birthday. But he wasn't feeling excited at was his 6th birthday, and that meant that he would soon be receiving what could either be the greatest, or worst present of his life. In just an hour or so, he would be undergoing his class awakening. While an exciting event, Jaune was fearful. Fearful of not being a Hero class. More than anything in the world, Jaune wanted to be a Hero. To go to the Heroes academy, and to be a savior. But he was scared. He was scared of becoming a part of the working caste. He didn't want to be a farmer, or a woodcutter. He wanted to be a Hero!

A creaking noise alerted him to the door being opened.

"Come on Jaune! Aren't you excited?" His 12 year old sister, Joan, asked.

"Y-yeah, of course! I-it's gonna be awesome!" Jaune replied, his stutter belying his true feelings.

"What's wrong? You're not scared are you?" Joan teased.

"N-No! I'm not scared of anything! I'm the bravest person in the world!"

"Then why do you look so pale?"

"B-because I, uh, I'm cold!" Jaune lied, proud of his foolproof excuse.

"Suuure," Joan commented, dragging out the word, "so what's up squirt? You know you can tell your big sis anything."

"I'm not a squirt! I'm six!" Jaune angrily pouted. Then he frowned. "I'm just a little bit scared, y'know? What if I don't get a Hero class? What if I'm stuck in the workers caste? I don't wanna be something sucky like a tailor," he whined.

"Hey! I'm a tailor, brat!" Joan playfully swatted the back of his head.

"Ow! I didn't mean it like that! I just wanna be a hero y'know? To fight grimm, and save people, and be a hero."

"Well, considering Mom's a Tailor, and Dad's a Miner, your chances are pretty slim there."

"Uuuu~, don't remind me" Jaune whined.

"Don't worry so much Jaune. No matter what class you are, I'll always love you. And mom, and dad, and all of your sisters! You don't have to be in the Hero caste to be a Hero." Joan said.

"Yeah... I guess so... wait, whaddya mean I don-"

"Jaune! Come downstairs! It's almost 7 o'clock!" Their mother shouted, cutting off his question.

Jaune looked at his eldest sister of seven for reassurance. She looked back at him, before smiling. Her eyes were filled with love, and care. Jaune hopped off his Pumpkin Pete's blanket clad bed before he could be overwhelmed with emotion. Walking out the door, his eyes were almost glowing with determination.

"It's almost time! Oh, I'm so excited for my baby!" Jaune's mother, Juniper Arc said.

"Hehe, yeah," Jaune weakly chuckled. In truth, Jaune was feeling terrible. His skin was hot and cold at the same time. He was sweating bullets. His hands were shaking.

"You alright their son?" Jaune looked up from his seated position on the floor of the living room, his eyes meeting those of his father, Archimedes Arc.

"T-totally. I'm fine."

His father chuckled. "It's okay to be nervous Jaune. I was nervous too, at my class-awakening."

Jaune's hands stopped shaking. "Really?" Unbelievable. His father, the biggest man in all of Ansel, was nervous? Archimedes Arc and nervous didn't go together at all.

"Oh yeah, I was so nervous, I was shaking in my boots. My old man had to hold me down, so I didn't start vibrating with anxiety."

"I was nervous too honey, but that's a part of life. It's okay to be scared. It is a big deal, but don't let it get to you sweetie. In just a few minutes, you'll have your class, and we can all celebrate!" his mom's voice was soothing. Like a shower after a long day of playing in the dirt, his mother's words washed away his anxiety. Slowly, his nervousness disappeared and was replaced with restlessness.

Jaune looked around the living room once more. His sisters, all seven of them, were upstairs in their rooms, waiting for his awakening to be over. Awakenings were a pretty private affair, so usually only the parents were present. This was essentially a courtesy for the child. If they didn't get the class they wanted, their parents were there to hold and comfort them. When the child had finally settled down, only then, did he or she appear to the rest of the world. That meant his sisters would have to wait until he was done before they could come downstairs.

A faint reddish orange glow began to permeate the room. "Oh! It's starting Archie! Our baby is growing up!" Juniper whispered, wiping away a stray tear.

Jaune looked at his hands in wonder as they began to glow orange. ' _Please let me be a hero. Please let me be a hero, please let me be a hero. Please, please, please.'_

As the awakening reached its peak, the light became unbearable to look at. And just as suddenly as it had begun, the glow vanished. Jaune was scared to open his eyes. _'Please be a hero class. Please be a hero class. Please."_

Hesitantly opening his eyes, Jaune looked up to see a single word that would bring the world down around him.

Blacksmith

 **Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! More will be coming out soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Don't Own RWBY.**

Jaune ran as fast as he could to his room, tears beginning to prick the corners of his eyes. _'Why? Why couldn't I be a Hero? Was I not good enough? Am I not good enough? Do I not deserve it? Am I a bad person?'_

He closed the door and locked it, falling to his knees as the tears truly began to flow. He didn't understand. He had wanted it so badly and yet his prayers went unanswered. Instead he was stuck in the working caste as a blacksmith.

Anger welled up within him. Anger at the world for not granting him his wish. Anger at his parents for not being Heroes and thus giving him a better chance to be a Hero himself. And most importantly, anger at himself. He should have been better! If he had been better, then he would have been living his dream! But instead he was forever damned to a life of servitude.

"Archie, I'm so worried, Jaune hasn't come out of his room in days." Juniper whispered. She, and Archimedes were standing outside of Jaune's room, staring at the door.

"I think we should give him his space. He just had his dreams crushed. He is hurting, but we just have to wait until he is ready. We have to be ready to accept and help him through this when he comes out." He replied.

"But... but my poor baby!" she sniffled into his shoulder.

"I know honey... I know." A lone tear fell from his right eye. His son was in so much pain. His son was hurting so much, and there was nothing he could do. He just had to wait.

Jaune, lay still on his bed. His eyes vacantly staring at the ceiling. He had heard his parents outside his door. He felt terrible knowing he was causing his parents so much grief, but he was locked up. His own emotions were too fresh, too agonizing. Oh how badly he wanted to come out, and say everything was okay. To tell his parents not to worry, that he would be alright. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

As his eyes began to drift shut once more, a stray thought passed through his head. _You don't have to be in the Hero caste to be a Hero._

Jaune's eyes widened at that sudden thought. Was his sister right? Did it really matter? Could he still achieve his dream?

Jaune swung his legs over the ride of his bed. His limbs aching from being still for so long. He wiped away his long dried up tears and slowly stood up.

His eyes were alight with determination. His entire being was filled with hope. He could do this. He could still be a hero. He just needed a plan. His gaze found his sketchbook on his desk. Walking swiftly over to it, he tore out his previous drawings. They were unimportant now. With a deft hand, he snatched his pencil and began to write.

How to Be a Hero List

Find ways to level up a lot

Get really awesome gear

Find some way to get into Beacon

Become a Hero

With a clack, Jaune put his pencil down. He looked over his list once again, before grabbing some clear tape. Making his way over to the door, Jaune held his list in place with his left hand and taped it to the door with his right. Staring for a moment longer, Jaune took in a deep breath.

As his hand reached the doorknob, he exhaled. _Time to be a Hero._

A faint creaking noise alerted the Arc parents to a door being opened. Looking up, they were pleasantly surprised. There, in the doorway, stood their son who was looking at them. But something was different. What was it? Had Jaune gotten bigger? Grown taller maybe? No... It was nothing physical, more that he seemed to be... more purposeful? More determined? No longer did he seem like the immature child he used to be. He stood with the confidence of a man. He looked like a man with a plan.

Juniper was the first to speak up. "J-Jaune, sweetie? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine mom."

The two adults shared a look. While normally the "I'm fine" line meant anything but being fine, they sensed no lie in his words.

"You, look... different Jaune." Archimedes said.

Jaune's eyes found his, and Archimedes was momentarily taken aback. What had happened to his son, that had caused his eyes to change so? To go from the childish innocence they once held to the almost burning passion they now held? Could it truly have been Jaune's class awakening that had done this?

"Really? I don't think I've changed at all."

"Er, not in your looks honey, but in your demeanor."

"My demeam-what?"

Juniper's voice took on the tone of a parent, "demeanor, like, the way you act."

"Oh. I'm gonna be a Hero." Jaune stated.

His parents were once again taken aback. Since when did their son speak with such conviction?

"B-but, you're a blacksmith jaune." Archimedes said, vaguely waving in the direction of the word above Jaune's head.

"Doesn't matter. Who cares that I am a blacksmith. I don't. I'm gonna be a hero."

"Jaune, this isn't a game. You are a blacksmith now."

"No. I'm gonna be a Hero!"

"Jaune, you can't! You're a blacksmith!"

"Then I'll be a Hero Blacksmith!"

Silence greeted his statement. "You're not going to change your mind, are you Jaune?" Juniper asked in a defeated tone. A firm nod was the reply.

"Juni! Don't encourage him!" Archimedes tried.

"No, Archie. Jaune has made up his mind. And it is our duty as parents to support him. No matter what."

"But he's a Blacksmith! Nothing can change that! No matter how hard he tries he will never be a hero."

Smack!

"Don't you dare say that! What kind of father are you? To say something like that, in front of your son no less!"

Archimedes froze up, as if he had just remembered that Jaune was barely three feet from him.

"N-No! My answer is still no!" He said, his voice gaining confidence with every word, "it is far too dangerous! He'll get himself killed out there! This isn't some game, this is life and death!"

Silence greeted his statement. Jaune couldn't believe what was happening. He had been crushed when he had awakened the Blacksmith class. But he had found a solution to his problems, only to have it taken away by his father.

Jaune didn't meet his parents gaze as he ran off, his tears blurring his vision. He ran to the only place he truly felt safe and accepted.

Slam!

Joan sat up in bed, headphones falling off as the door to her room slammed open.

"Jaune?" seeing the tears welling up in his eyes, Joan quickly stood from her languid position on the bed. "Jaune what's wrong?"

"I t-told mom and d-dad that I w-wanted to be a Hero, but dad s-said n-no, that i-it's too d-dangerous."

Joan silently opened her arms, in a "come here" motion, embracing Jaune as he cried into her shoulder.

"Ssh, it'll be alright Jaune. Everything will be alright."


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't Own RWBY.**

 **A/N: I changed up the ending of Chapter 2, so if you have read it already, I would suggest re-reading. otherwise,**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Clang!_

"Good Jaune! Strong hits!

 _Clang!_

"Don't let your posture slack! Keep your back straight!"

 _Clang!_

"Enough! I think it's shaped well enough lad."

Jaune set down the glowing C shaped piece of steel he had been hammering. Placing the hammer back upon its rack on the wall, Jaune wiped his grimy hands on his apron.

"Take a break lad, you've been at it for hours."

"Yes, sir."

"Ha, you know you don't have too call me that sir business. I ain't no Hero. Just a blacksmith, like you."

"Yes Mr. Smith."

"Now, get you gone son. It's almost half seven."

Jaune nodded his thanks before walking out of the forge. Soon, his walk turned into a jog, and a jog into a sprint, despite his aching muscles. Weaving in and out of imaginary foes, Jaune made his way back home.

He was 14 now. Eight years had passed since that fateful night. He had begun his training almost the day after as a blacksmith. Ever since his father had made his disapproval evident, Jaune had focused on the blacksmithing part of his life, which gave him the experience he so desperately needed to level up. Without it, he would be stuck. He couldn't even entertain the idea of fighting the grimm for experience because he lacked not only the abilities to do so, but also the equipment to keep him safe.

So Jaune worked daily, absorbing all of the knowledge that was bestowed upon him by his mentor, Mr. Smith. Jacob Smith was Ansel's local blacksmith. He was a good blacksmith, but nothing for the history books. Mr. Smith had no blood relatives, and so he sought to find an apprentice to pass his craft onto. Jaune was that apprentice. As a six year old boy, Jaune had come to Mr. Smith for training, and seeing the determination within the child, Mr. Smith had accepted.

But he wasn't stupid. He didn't let Jaune anywhere near the forge for the first two years of his training. He had to make sure Jaune was mature enough to even be around the dangerously hot coals and the heavy tools. So Jaune had begun his journey with books. Books about metals. Books about forging. Book about tools. Books about weapons. Though most it was beyond boring - Jaune liked the books on weapons - he never once complained. He knew that Mr. Smith was the best chance he had at becoming a blacksmith, which was a key stepping stone in his path to become a Hero.

When he was 8, Jaune was finally allowed inside of the forge, rather than reading and studying in Mr. Smith's rather cramped office. It was gratifying for him to finally be able to see the tools of his trade rather than reading about them. But before he could even begin to touch a hammer, Mr. Smith had ordered him to sit upon the high bench near the door and simply watch.

Then Mr. Smith had begun to go through the process of blacksmithing an axe-head, warning Jaune that he could leave anytime he wanted if the heat became too much, or if the sounds were too loud. But Jaune stubbornly sat through it all, determined to soak up as much information as possible to hasten his studies.

By age 11, Jaune was swinging his hammer like a natural. Though not working on large projects like a sword or anything similar, Jaune was finally allowed to start forging.

And now, by age 16, Jaune was level 14, a far cry from his original level of 2. His training was almost at the point where Mr. Smith would have nothing left to teach him, and he would be allowed to work in the forge on his own.

As Jaune rounded the second to last corner from his house, he was going too fast to see the person standing there.

"Oof!"

Together, Jaune and the stranger tumbled for a solid few moments before coming to a stop.

"Uugg~ my head." A little voice spoke from above him.

Jaune opened his eyes to find a smaller girl dressed in a cute red outfit awkwardly laying on top of him.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Huh?" The girl looked down at Jaune, and their eyes met. Jaune was momentarily taken by the color of her eyes. Silver eyes. _'Wow.'_

"I'm okay! I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose! What's your name?" she asked with a toothy smile.

"Uh, I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc." He paused, how could this girl be so cheerful after he basically tackled her? "A pleasure to meet you Ruby."

"You too! So, why did you flying tackle me?" She asked innocently.

Jaune tried to bury his face in his hands, but he couldn't. Looking down, his hands were trapped between his body and hers. "Uuhh, maybe we could stand up first?" Jaune suggested.

"Okay!" Ruby hopped to her feet so fast, it looked as if she had teleported.

Jaune stood up with a groan. His muscles were already sore from working all day, and tumbling on the pavement didn't help at all. "Er, yeah sorry about that. I didn't see you there."

"It's okay! Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Ruby."

"Why are you being so friendly?" Ruby asked with a trace of hesitance in her voice.

"Huh?" That question confused him? Why would she ask him something like that? "What do you mean?"

"Well, most people don't really want to talk to me all that much."

"Why not? You seem like a really nice girl. And your cute!"

She blushed slightly at the unexpected comment. "Well, most people get weird whenever they... nevermind."

Jaune looked up above her head. Reaper. Oh.

"You're a Reaper?"

"Y-yeah." She responded, shrinking in on herself as if expecting Jaune to get mad.

"That's..." She closed her eyes, waiting for his angry outburst. "So, COOL!"

...

Wait what?

"Oh my gosh! I never even thought I would meet a Hero for a loong time! This is the best day of my life!" Jaune spoke with passion. His gaze was locked onto her, taking in every detail of one of the people who was essentially his idol from birth. "Do you fight grimm? No wait! Do you have super awesome skills? Or, or like a super awesome mega weapon?"

"Uuuhhhh..."

Seeing her start to freak out, Jaune took a step back. "Ah, right sorry. I get really excited whenever someone talks about a Hero. And to actually meet one! This is so awesome!"

"You're... not scared of me?" Ruby hesitantly questioned.

"Scared? Why would I be scared? You're a Hero! A real life Hero! I have always dreamed to be like you, y'know. I want to grow up and fight the grimm, and save people. But right now I can't. I'm stuck as a stupid blacksmith."

"O-oh, well, you probably make really cool stuff, right?" Ruby tried.

"Oh, er~ I guess? I-I mean, it's okay..." Jaune modestly said, a hint of red on his cheeks.

"..."

"..."

"So-"

"So-" they both said at the same time.

"You first-"

"You first-" They made eye contact before bursting into laughter.

"Hehe, so you wanna see my favorite spot in the world?"

"Y-you're inviting me to see your favorite spot in the world?"

"Yeah."

"But, but why?"

"Whaddya mean?" Jaune asked scratching his head. "We are friends aren't we?"

"YEAH!" Ruby said a little too loudly, "uh... *cough* yeah, friends. We're friends."

Jaune glanced at her oddly before shrugging. He grabbed Ruby's hand and started walking. "C'mon, it's this way."

* * *

They arrived at a small lake, surrounded with tall trees. Walking over to a boulder, Jaune pulled Ruby up top onto a flat section with a taller section behind it so he could lean back. "I love this place. It's so peaceful and quiet. It's my favorite spot to just sit and think for a while."

The waves of the lake made small splashing sounds as the two sat there quietly.

"Yeah, it's really awesome." Ruby said after a little bit.

Jaune just nodded, before staring at the lake.

The light began to fade away as the sun said its final goodbyes and let the shattered moon make an appearance. Ruby leaned back on the rock, closing her eyes to just listen to the sounds around her. It was nice to get a moment to herself. To just relax, away from the worries and stress of life.

As the moon began to shine above the treeline, Jaune looked to his right. Ruby Rose. A Hero. His first friend. He couldn't have kept the smile from appearing on his face even if he had wanted to. With the moonlight framing her face, Jaune couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. Her hair was black with red tips, coming down to just under her chin. A stray strand found its way onto her face. Without thinking, Jaune reach over and tucked the hair behind her ear, just as he often did with his sisters. Realizing what he had just done, Jaune blushed heavily and looked away, hiding his hands in his lap.

If he had turned a second later, he might have noticed the faint blush on Ruby's usually pale cheeks.

* * *

A growl echoed through the clearing. Jaune sat up quickly, lightly shaking Ruby's shoulder.

"H-huh, wha?"

"Sshh, wake up Ruby. I think I just heard something."

Instantly, Ruby went from sleepy to fully alert, her Hero training kicking into gear. "C'mon Jaune, let's try to get back into town."

"Yeah, yeah right." Mentally, Ruby was kicking herself for leaving her weapon at the inn. They stood, before taking off at a fast pace in the direction they had come. It was only about a half a mile to town, so it would only be a few minutes at most at Jaune's fastest pace. As they weaved in and out of the trees, a growl emanated from the left of them. Reacting faster than Jaune could, Ruby pushed Jaune away as a simply massive Beowulf jumped out of the bushes. "O-oh god, th-that's a C-C-C-class beowulf!" The red tribal markings on its facemask and it's 8 foot tall frame giving away its rank. _'What in Oum's name is a Century old beowulf doing here?!'_

"C'mon Ruby! We gotta go!"

"We can't outrun it Jaune! We have to fight it!"

"A-Are you crazy! This is a C-Class! We can't take it!"

"We have to Jaune! We don't have any other choice!"

Looking back and forth between the beowulf and his friend, Jaune made his decision. "R-right. Okay. Fight. Yeah, fight, I can do that."

Without warning, the Beowulf lunged at the two. Ruby split right while Jaune split left, the beowulf sailing past in between them. It circled around, before looking towards Jaune and taking off at a dead sprint. "Oh F-" Jaune shouted as he dodged to the left again running around a few trees in the process.

Jaune kept running, circling around where the beowulf first emerged in hopes that Ruby would find some way of hurting the grimm. _Growl_. Thinking quickly, Jaune ducked as the Beowulf sailed overhead. He was rewarded with his head not being injured, but the same couldn't be said for his back. "AArrg!" Three claw marks trailed from his lower back to just under his shoulder blades.

"Jaune!" Ruby shouted, before rushing towards the beowulf, her anger over her first friend being hurt clouding her rational mind. "Rraahh!" She tackled the beowulf at full speed, bowling over the grimm. Her fists began to punch the beowulf's face, but they did barely anything. With a swift backhand, Ruby was sent flying into a tree, slumping down to the base.

Seeing this, Jaune struggled to stand up, the pain in his back limiting his ability to move. The beowulf stood and howled, as if proud of its hunt. It then began walking over to Ruby who was trying to crawl away. Just as the beowulf reached Ruby and reared back a claw, Jaune's eyes met Ruby's. He saw a myriad of emotions in her eyes before they closed. Fear, sadness, regret, happiness, elation, and finally acceptance. Seeing that last one, Jaune was filled with white hot anger. _'No, no, no, No, NO,_ _ **NO**_ _'_

Jaune brutally fought with himself, forcing his body to stand up. Unbridled rage filling him. He would not let Ruby die here. What good was a Hero, if he couldn't even save his friends?

No, he wouldn't let this scum hurt his friend any further. Strength beyond anything he had ever felt flooded his body. With a roar, Jaune pushed off the ground as hard as he could, a small crater forming where his foot used to be. Jaune slammed into the beowulf as it's claw descended upon Ruby. With a crack, the beowulf was sandwiched between Jaune and a tree. Stunned, the beowulf was unable to do anything but accept the punishment that Jaune inflicted upon it.

Fists rained down, blow after blow, slamming into the grimm with the force of a warhammer. His knuckles bled, only adding to his fury. The beowulf, unable to endure such damage, struggled weakly once more, before succumbing and going limp. With one final shout of pure rage, Jaune slammed his hand through the beowulf's head. The body of the grimm slowly dissipated into the air as Jaune stumbled away, trudging towards Ruby. The feeling of overwhelming strength had left him as soon as he had put his fist through the grimm's head, and now all that was left was regret.

Regret at bringing his friend out into danger. Regret for not being fast enough to save her from being hurt. Regret for not being strong enough.

Every muscle burned in agony as he took step after step. But he wouldn't let himself stop. Not until Ruby was safe. Reaching the little Reaper, Jaune picked her up bridal style. Straightening, Jaune turned back towards the town and slowly took a step. He stumbled under their combined weights, but his determination prevailed and he slowly took another step. And another. And another.

If he had looked back, he would have seen an innocent pile of Lien in place of the beowulf's dissipated corpse.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I know the chapters have been short, but life is a doozy. Any tips on writing a better combat scene would be appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Don't Own RWBY.**

* * *

Every step felt like a mile. Each jostling movement felt like lava being poured over his skin. But he didn't stop. He wouldn't stop. Not until Ruby was safe. It was just a little further. Just a couple more steps... Just a little further...

* * *

Jaune stumbled into sight of the village walls. His gait slower than a tortoise, his feet dragging in the dirt. He barely even had the energy to open his eyes in response to a voice.

"-alt! Identify yourselves!" Someone shouted.

 _Thump._ "Huh? Shi- It's Jaune! Someone ope-..." Jaune's eyes slowly drifted shut as his resolve gave way to the pure exhaustion and pain he was feeling. As the world slowly faded to black, Jaune couldn't help but think, _'at least... Ruby... is safe...'_

* * *

"...-hat happene-..."

* * *

"...-aune, Jaune! You'll be oka-..."

* * *

When Jaune awoke, he wished he hadn't. His entire back felt like it had been set on fire. He was laying on his front. A familiar scent reached his nose, and he determined he was in his bedroom back at home. As he tried to open his eyes, a groan escaped him.

The sound of rustling clothes alerted him to someone else being in the room. "Jaune? Jaune, are you awake?" His eldest sister's voice spoke.

Another groan escaped Jaune as he tried to speak up.

"Oh Jaune! You're awake!" The relief in her voice was evident, as she rushed to his side. "How are you feeling?"

"...-ter..."

"Huh? What was that?"

"-ater!"

"Oh! Water! Yeah, yeah right, gimme a sec."

Joan dashed off to get a glass of water, while Jaune laid there. After a few moments, he grew uncomfortable and attempted to roll onto his side. The sound of hurried footsteps alerted him to the fact that Joan was returning. As she entered the room, she cried, "No! Jaune don't move!"

' _Too late sis.'_ Jaune thought as pain lanced through his back. Jaune clenched his jaw shut in an attempt to not scream, but it did little to stop the whimpers from emerging.

Joan hurriedly set down the glass on his bedside table before running over to Jaune and holding him as he sat up from his position on his side. "Ugh... that sucked." he said after a sip of water.

"Well yeah mister! Maybe next time you won't come home carried in half dead with the doctor! And your back! What happened to your back?!"

"Would you believe me if I told you I slipped and fell?" Jaune asked.

"Slipped an- What the hell Jaune! You have gashes so deep that the doctor said he could see your ribs!"

Jaune winced, and not because of the pain in his back. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"Sorry? Sorry?! You think that's gonna cut it? You absolute idiot!" She smacked him on the head to emphasize her point.

"Ow! Hey! No hitting the injured!"

"Psh, as if. Your not even injured anymore!"

"Huh? Whaddya mean I'm not injured? My back is on fire!"

"Yeah yeah, Doc said it was just nerve damage. No actual physical damage. Doc said your constitution stat was off the charts for your injuries to heal so fast."

"What?"

She looked at him as if he were a mentally challenged rock. "You, back hurt. Doc fix. Three weeks sleep. You healed. You only hurt, in head." She said slowly.

"Oh, righ- wait, three weeks?!"

"Yeah, three weeks."

"Oh..." Jaune said quietly. His injuries must have been really serious is they had put him out of action for three weeks. He wondered how long Ruby was out f- "Wait, where's Ruby?" He looked around the room, as if waiting for her to pop out of the closet.

"What? Who's Ruby?"

"Whaddya mean, who's Ruby? Ruby! The girl that was with me when I showed up infront of the gates!"

"No idea. I was more worried about my little brother and his BLEEDING back."

Jaune nervously chuckled at that statement before trying to stand up.

"Woah woah woah," Joan said, pushing him back into a sitting position, "You are not allowed out of this bed!"

"What? Why?"

"Doc's orders! You were just injured! You need rest!"

"I'm fine!" Jaune said, ignoring the burning sensation that flared up across his back.

"No, you are staying here!"

"But I have to find Ruby!"

Joan looked at him suspiciously. "And why do you need to see her so bad?"

"To make sure she's okay! She got hurt when that Beowulf hit her!"

"Beowulf?! Jaune what the hell were you doing fighting a grimm?!"

"It wasn't my fault! It attacked us! And- gah! I'll tell you later. I have to find Ruby first!"

"No! Like I said, you are not leaving this bed!" Joan spoke, using a tone that said 'obey or else.'

It was a testament to Jaune's worry that he stood up anyway, defying his sister's orders.

"I'm going to find Ruby. I have to make sure she is okay." He said, with a touch of hysteria in his voice.

Joan was surprised when Jaune denied her, even when she was using her older sister tone. Seeing that he wasn't going to back down, Joan sighed. "Ug, Jaune, just... Look, I'll find this Ruby girl alright? I'll find her as long as you promise not to get out of this bed."

Jaune considered his options. On one hand, he could get up, dressed, and go look for Ruby himself; the pain in his back suggested otherwise. On the other hand, he could let his sister, whom was perfectly healthy and not in any pain at all, go and look for Ruby. Yeah, definitely option two.

"Thanks sis," Jaune said with relief, "You're the best."

"And don't you forget it." She responded. Then she helped him back into bed, again laying on his front as to not aggravate the pain in his back. Giving Jaune a light kiss on the top of the head, Joan left, closing the door behind her. Before he knew it, Jaune's eyelids drooped closed, light snores pervading the room.

* * *

That was 6 months ago. Since that day, Jaune had trained relentlessly, not allowing himself to stop. And it had paid off. He had jumped from level 14 to level 17. Three levels in six months was a tremendous gain in experience. Each level was harder to achieve that the previous, and so the experience needed to go from 14 to 17 was equivalent to the experience he had needed to go from 8 to 14. But it also balanced out because of the higher experience gains he was getting at higher levels.

Jaune was able to smith bigger and more difficult things, which contributed to his level gains. For example, a small iron shovel would net Jaune one unit of experience while making a large steel broadsword would net him almost 50 units. Thus it was far better to smith larger items with better materials for experience gain. Materials gave more experience the rarer and the harder they were to smith. In order from least rare to rarest the materials went:

Copper

Bronze

Iron

Steel

Cobalt

Moon Silver

Mithril

Adamantium

Runite

Jaune had never even seen a piece of anything adamantium or above. And when he did see a mithril item, it was usually a blend of mithril and steel, which cut down the cost dramatically when compared to a pure mithril item. Yet even with 1 part in 20 mithril, you could tell there was a difference in quality. Not only was the metal harder and more durable, but it also was capable of holding modifiers much better. Anything up to Moon Silver could only hold a tier I modifier. But if you mixed in at least 1 in 20 parts - 5% - mithril, then it would allow it to could hold a tier II modifier, making it much more valuable. This applied to Adamantium and Runite as well. Adamantium able to hold up to a tier III modifier and Runite able to hold the coveted tier IV modifier.

A tier IV modifier was an even more expensive piece of equipment because it was the best someone could get outside of a boss drop. Grimm bosses occasionally dropped equipment with tier V enchantments, but it was so rare and expensive that usually anyone below high A-class didn't even consider buying a tier V piece of equipment.

But to even smith something like Adamantium or Runite, a blacksmith had to have an immense strength stat to even shape the metal. Jaune as a blacksmith was gifted with a higher than average strength stat. There was a one to three scale for how much a person's stats would increase each time they leveled up. One being the most increase and three being the least.

Focusing inward, Jaune once again 'viewed' his stats.

Strength(1) : 53

Constitution(2) : 42

Endurance(2) : 39

Dexterity(3) : 18

Agility(3) : 16

Intelligence(2) : 35

Wisdom(3) : 17

Like a chalkboard, a person's stats usually appeared to them when they meditated. This also went for their skills, though skills more commonly were just in their knowledge - as if it had been a part of them their entire life, even if they had just learned it.

It was common for a member of the working caste to have three tier III stats, and three to four tier II stats. Once in a blue moon, there would be a worker with a single tier I stat, such as Jaune and his strength stat. Heroes usually had one to three of these tier I stats, making them far more effective in combating the grimm.

Strength was a pretty self explanatory stat, detailing how strong someone was. This also usually detailed how much damage a person could do.

The Constitution stat was how much punishment someone could take before tapping out. The higher constitution a person had, the less damage each hit did to them.

The Endurance stat was a person's endurance and stamina. How long they could keep going before needing food, water and rest.

The Dexterity stat was essentially a person's coordination. A person with high dexterity would be able to shoot with uncanny ability, or juggle an unreasonable amount of apples.

The Agility stats was a person's ability to move around, whether that be the speed they run at, or the sureness of their footing.

The Intelligence stat was pretty much how much knowledge a person absorbed. This usually translated to a person's smarts. But if someone worked hard, even with a low Intelligence, they could attain the same level of knowledge that a person with a high intelligence stat had.

The Wisdom stat was how well a person could make decisions. Usually a higher wisdom meant that the person saw more options and was able to decipher what was the best in the shortest amount of time. But like Intelligence, a person could achieve the same level of decisiveness with practice, though not as easily as a person with a high Wisdom stat.

Thus, Jaune's fighting style revolved around his immense strength and his decent constitution. Yet he wasn't so stupid to play the tank. He knew that he was at a disadvantage compared to real heroes. So he fought smart, planning out his encounters and preparing thoroughly for each one. Though he was no archer, he carried with him a steel crossbow, one of his own making. It was basic in shape, mostly just a stock and body with a half circle on top. The bolts were about a quarter-inch thick, 6 inches long, and rested in a pouch of 20 on his upper right thigh. All in all, it was a very simple piece of equipment. The only thing that made it unique was the image on the stock.

It was a small rose decal, carved into the right side. It was mostly unnoticeable because it was the same color at the rest of the weapon, yet it was there. Jaune had dedicated each and every one of his crafts to his first, and best, friend. As such, each and every one of his crafts carried a small rose decal. He didn't really have a true reason for it, except that it just felt right to him.

The crossbow was his first choice for the opening of a battle. With a well placed shot, Jaune could take down the grimm before he even got within 90 yards, saving himself from any chance of injury. Most steel crossbows would only be accurate up to 65 yards, but with a Power I modifier, Jaune's weapon was far more deadly. The Power I modifier, was actually somewhat of a misnomer. Instead of actually increasing the power of the shot directly, the modifer essentially made the crossbow and any bolt loaded into it more durable, as to withstand a greater amount of force. Thus Jaune's latch - the part that holds the string back in a ready-to-fire position- was about 2 inches further back on the crossbow than average.

Jaune had taken to sneaking out at night, and shooting from the tops of the city walls, though it was rare that he actually hit a target. But he was getting better. Despite his low dexterity, Jaune's large amount of practice lent itself to his decent level of aim.

"...une... Jaune." His sister's voice knocked him out of his reverie.

"Hmm?"

"Are you really leaving so soon?"

Looking up from his travel bag, Jaune replied, "Yeah. It's time for me to go. The new school year starts in a couple months, and if I want to be with people my age, then I need to apply soon."

She was quiet for a moment. "You can't stay? Just apply, and then come back home?"

Jaune shook his head, "You know I can't do that Joan. I need to find a teacher to teach me sword fighting."

"You could ask the guards to teach you! Or, or-"

"Joan," Jaune said, stopping her rant before it could begin. "No one in Ansel uses the weapon I do. I need to find a real teacher. I have to do this."

"I... I... I know. I just... I'm gonna m-miss you Jaune." A tear slipped from her eye.

"I'll miss you too Joan. But don't worry too much! You can come visit!" Seeing that his words weren't cheering up his sister at all, Jaune tried, "I'll write. Everyday, I promise. And and Arc never goes back on their word!"

Joan's lips turned up as she pulled her brother into a hug. "Be safe Jaune."

"I will." Jaune held onto her, savoring some of his last moments with his family.

"..."

 _Sniffle._ "Y-you better get going s-squirt, I c-can only hold off mum and dad for s-so long."

"Thanks sis. I love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed. This chapter hopefully gave a bit of insight into the RPG aspects of the story. And Jaune is off to Vale! What will happen next I wonder... See you next time!**


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